


Not Worth It

by Emono



Series: Lazer Team [2]
Category: Lazer Team (2015), Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Big Gay Love Story, Cussing, Jadiel is Ray, M/M, Movie rewrite, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Zach is a love sick puppy, smut in later chapters if I get that far, whatever here's a piece of shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-08 21:24:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7774033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emono/pseuds/Emono
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jadiel is Zach's crush who gives him blowjobs for weed behind the school, but Jadiel keeps him at arms length and it breaks his heart. He tried to win his affection, even just his attention, but Jadiel has thick defenses and a sharp tongue. Hagan has been looking out for Jadiel for years but the kid fights him every step of the way. Why won't Jadiel let anyone in? And does any of that matter once a kickass alien suit falls from the sky? Jadiel gets himself looked into a chestpiece and a mission to save the world. But *dramatic music* can he save himself from loneliness? Will Zach win the boy? Will Hagan help a wayward kid?</p><p>"Who fucking cares?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jadiel kept the cigarette snug between his lips as he lit up, lighter scritching loudly. He’d put himself up in one of the thick oak trees outside the school gate, feeling the Sasuke lifestyle. He felt like the coolest person in an anime but really he just liked to burn leaves and watch caterpillars. And from here he could see Zach starting his walk home alone. He’d heard the kid get snubbed by the other jocks for a game of flag football. They’d shot a couple words at him - showboat, asshole - and then headed out the other direction without him.

 

It was all stupid. Sports were ridiculous to him on every level. Who could give each other a concussion the fastest in front of the most people.

 

Jadiel watched Zach huff and drag his feet along the sidewalk. The jock kept looking back at the the retreating backs of his peers, listening to them laugh at (probably) his expense. The poor kid looked rough. Cute though. He had cherub lips made to suck dick, an ass that would look great bouncing in his lap, freckles like he was kissed by a league of angels - mouthy as fuck. Jadiel kind of liked that too. Zach was young, everyone his age shot off at the mouth any chance they got.

 

High schoolers. They thought they were the shit. That everything in their little lives was _so_ important. High school was the biggest deal ever and prom was the Party To End All Parties. Every cheerleader was a model, every jock a gladiator, and every band geek a rock star. It bored Jadiel to no end. He was completely and utterly over it all. His mom always said he was ahead of the of the other kids, that he understood things faster than others growing up. _Mature_. It’s what she’d told the guidance counselor when he expressed an interest in him - or, more accurately, when he took an interest in how Jadiel didn’t make friends and how little interest he had in socialization at all. He could still remember the man’s lined, kind face and how he popped the p’s in ‘important’.

 

Jadiel had never given a shit about his fellow classmates. And they’d never given a shit about him. It had all worked out over the years and he didn’t feel the need to change the equation on his senior year.

 

Except this brat Zach. The kid kept chasing after him in one way or another. They’d gone through a couple of stages of pathetic courting attempts but Zach had finally found his weak spot - free, high end weed. Wherever the kid got it, it was good stuff with a strong high and zero paranoia. He knew Zach wanted on his dick but the jock played his one card right and now they had a regularly scheduled blowjob day. The kid never lasted too long so one quick blowie and Jadiel had his bag of weed for the week. Zach made some hot noises and he was a responsive little thing so it wasn’t exactly a hardship.

 

The kid panted after him like an eager puppy. It was annoying as fuck. Yet, in his weaker moments, he found it strangely endearing. He didn’t mind blowing him for some nice weed. Shit, he wouldn’t mind blowing him _without_ it. But Zach didn’t need to know that.

 

Jadiel took a long drag of smoke and decided to follow Zach home to make sure he got there safe. Pretty boys walking alone and all that. It was on his way anyhow and it wasn’t like he gave a shit or anything. It was just something to do.

 

o0o

 

Jadiel scowled, brows furrowed in disgust under the lip of his jacket hood. He took a hot drag off his joint and watched a bouncing group of JV cheerleaders bubble by. He pressed harder into the fence he was loitering against behind the stands in an effort to get further away from them. The high school stadium was packed for the “big game” or whatever. He didn’t follow that nonsense. The buzz of a thousand juvenile conversations tickle his ears but the weed helped dull it. School spirit, pom poms, touchdowns…

 

“Lame,” he muttered around the tip, pinching it between his fingers for another hit.

 

“Hey-ya!”

 

Jadiel smiled to himself as he heard the familiar drawl. “If it isn’t my favorite water boy.”

 

Woody sauntered up, all silly mullet and big smile. He was one of the most ridiculous people Jadiel had ever met and one of his only friends. He didn’t know how the redneck had wriggled his way past his defenses but he didn’t mind so much anymore. Woody was fun and light hearted. It was something he sorely needed.

 

“You’ve been out of this place a year and you still water the brats,” Jadiel teased.

 

Woody shrugged. “Somethin’ to do. School pride and all that.”  


“And,” Jadiel drew out. “ _Herman_.”

 

Woody’s nose wrinkled up. “He’s my best friend in the whole world. He needs someone here ‘cause of all the memories, ‘ya know?”

 

“Don’t get sappy on me, Wood, I’m not pissing on your gay parade.”

 

A strange look crossed Woody’s face. “Why are you here then?”

 

“Nothing else to do,” Jadiel grunted, rubbing the joint between his fingers and watching the ash fall. “They’ve got great nachos here and I’ve got some hella’ munchies.”

 

Woody suddenly broke out into a grin and it made the stoner frown. “You here to see your little boy?”

 

Jadiel cringed. “Oh shut the fuck up.”

 

“Your boyfriend!” Woody giggled.

 

Jadiel shot forward and punched his friend in the shoulder. Woody drew back with a whine and rubbed the sore spot, pouting. “He’s not my boyfriend, he’s my fucking stalker!”

 

“Sure, sure, whatever you say,” Woody relented, glancing at the stadium. “Okay. I gotta get gettin’. It’s about time.”

 

“Get lost, loser.”

 

Jadiel watched him go, slumping against the chain link. _He’s not my fucking boyfriend._

 

* * *

 

 

**might write more, might not  
Got three or four more chapters to post that I've done but after that *gestures uselessly***

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Hagan glared hotly at the jeep of soldiers as they drove away. He unlatched his emergency vest and tossed it in the passenger seat. He was about to climb in and head out when something caught his eye. A spark of a lighter. Hagan frowned and slammed the door shut, frowning with tight-lipped disapproval at the young man leaning against a battered old Corolla. 

 

Jadiel Narvaez. And if his nose was right, the kid was smoking pot not thirty feet from the deputy vehicle.

 

Hagan knew Miss. Alondra Narvaez well. She was a wonderful lady - a harder worker, independent, beautiful, charming, and maybe a tad alcoholic but no one as perfect. Her son was the exact opposite as a lazy underachiever with zero ambition and a bad pot habit. The kid’s dad left when he found out Alondra was pregnant. Hagan had been good friends with her in high school and she’d been one of the few people who hadn’t treated him like shit after the Big Game he’d ruined. While she threw herself into her work, he’d agreed to watch out for Jadiel at school. Unfortunately they bumped heads all the time so Hagan had to lie a little on his little updates to Alondra. Jadiel was always toeing the line of the law and running full speed away from him, nipping at authority any chance he got. 

 

The kid wanted nothing to do with him but that didn’t look like a regular cigarette.

 

Hagan adjusted his belt and walked over, mulling over what exactly he was going to say. 

 

“You packing, Jadiel?” Hagan called as he walked around the car, looking the kid over.

 

“Don’t know what you mean, officer,” Jadiel deadpanned around the end of the joint, smoke trickling out from between his lips.

 

Hagan raised a brow. “Does your mother know where you are?”

 

Jadiel shrugged and popped the joint out, voice strained as he held the smoke in. “Too busy working her life away.”

 

“You realize she’s working to give you a better life, don’t you?” Hagan shot back with an edge. 

 

“I never asked her to do that,” Jadiel countered more smoothly, a stream of smoke slipping out of him. 

 

“Then maybe it’s time for you to get serious,” Hagan scolded sharply, ignoring the boy’s mild look of surprise. “Graduate, get a job, and move out of the basement. You know, be a productive member of society.”

 

It sounded harsher than he’d meant and he flinched.

 

“I’m hardly there, it’s not like I’m sapping resources.” Jadiel’s cool mask slid back into place and he took another hit. He hissed at the burn and grit his teeth. “What do you care for, old man? You’re always hounding me and dropping by for little fucking check ups.” He let out the smoke and smirked, tongue looser now. “You trying to bang my mom, bro? She doesn’t go for losers, Half-Ass.”

 

Hagan bristled. “Kid, you’re pushing it.”

 

Jadiel took a long drag before stubbing out the tiny butt against his car. He pushed off it before holding up his hands. “I ain’t got shit.”

 

“I smell weed, and I bet a test at the station would prove it,” Hagan threatened, fingers curling around his cuffs. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Your choice.”

 

“You gonna’ cuff me, Daddy?” Jadiel crooned. “I charge an extra ten for BDSM.” 

 

Hagan saw Jadiel tense and he knew he was about to bolt. He grabbed the kid by the arm and flipped him around against the Corolla, pinning his squirming form easily with one palm while he slid off his Sailor Moon sidebag. He shouldered it onto himself before he latched on the first cuff.

 

“You are  _ not _ fucking serious right now?” Jadiel barked as his wrists got cuffed, loose but unyielding. “You’re going to take me in? And my bag?”

 

“Maybe.” Hagan dug into the kid’s pants and snatched the bag of weed hiding there, pocketing it. “Or maybe I’m just keeping you from getting charged with Possession.”

 

Jadiel growled and kicked off the car as he was dragged toward the deputy vehicle, driving his shoulder into the man’s chest. He felt a flare of triumph as he heard Hagan grunt in pain but he didn’t let go. “Fucker.”

 

Hagan dragged him harder. “Knock it off!”

 

“Walk five cars in any direction and there’s some actual underage kid smoking pot and drinking,” Jadiel pointed out. “I am literally the lesser of evils here, man.”

 

Hagan rolled his eyes and shoved the kid into the back of the car, holding the cuffs as he took the key out of his pocket. He unlocked Jadiel and took his cuffs, tossing the bag in after him before slamming the door shut. Hands free but trapped, Jadiel pouted at him through the window.

 

“I’m taking you home for your own good, Jadiel. You can’t…” Hagan huffed and leaned on the door, knuckles white on the metal. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself. One day it’s not going to be me who picks you up and I don’t know if I’ll be able to help you then.”

 

“I don’t need your help,” Jadiel spat.

 

Hagan pursed his lips and decided this was a fight for another night. “The doors don’t open from the inside so don’t even try anything.”

 

Jadiel rubbed his wrist and glared at the deputy. “Asshole.”

 

Hagan plopped into the front seat and hadn’t so much reached for the door handle before a call came on the radio.

 

“This is Deputy Hagan in pursuit of a 481.”

 

“Deputy. Sheriff wants you out at Ruby Lake for an extraction.”

 

“Extraction?” Hagan repeated dumbly. “Base, just what the hell am I extracting?”

 

o0o

 

Jadiel scowled at the house party in disdain. He may have gone to the football game on some kind of whim and the faintest desire to see Zach do one of the only things he does best, but this was ridiculous. These kinds of events were a breeding ground of bad decisions. Drunk teenagers with too much money and time on their hands, a crockpot of hormones waiting to overboil. 

 

And then he saw why they were there.

 

“For fuck’s sake,” he grumbled. 

 

Hagan was leading back  _ Zach _ of all people. The kid was looking pretty rough but he could hear his loud mouth even through a car door. Jadiel contemplated making a run for it when Hagan opened the door but he was curious so he scooted back to make room, making sure to flip off the deputy for posterity. 

 

Zach was making faces at Hagan until the door shut and only then did he realize he wasn’t alone. The jock stank like chlorine and he had a bloody nose, and the corner of his eyebrow was busted open. There were two bloody holes in his shirt and Jadiel scowled, reaching across the boy and beating his fist on the door. “Hey fucknut! Did you seriously tase a kid? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

 

Zach leaned in and put a hand on his shoulder. “What’s up, Jade? You being naughty again?”

 

Jadiel glared so sharply the jock jerked his hand back and went wide eyed. “I’m trying to defend your human rights here, fuck boy.”

 

“S-Sorry,” Zach relented, pressing deep into the seat as the other pulled away. Hagan got in the front seat and started up the car but Jadiel didn’t care about the deputy anymore or where the night was headed. Instead he focused on the jock currently staring down at his busted knuckles as if they were the most fascinating thing in the world. He’d never heard Zach’s confidence falter like that before - the stutter, the big doe eyes, the way that usual idiot persona flickered out for just a moment. The kid was clearly drunk. His cheeks were so flushed that a lot of his freckles had disappeared. 

 

_ Maybe he’s not a fuck boy. Maybe he just thinks he needs to be. Children, Jesus. _

 

The ride went smooth and silent for a few minutes. Jadiel surprised himself by being the first one to speak.

 

“Who hurt you?” he asked, sweeping back his hood and plucking off his red beanie. 

 

“Just some assholes from the other team.” Zach shrugged, freezing when the other grabbed his chin. “Wh...what are you doing?”

 

“Hold still,” Jadiel scolded as he took the edge of a beanie and wiped off the jock’s bloody lip. “You okay, kid?”

 

“Doesn’t hurt,” Zach muttered, lashes fluttering as the cap was pressed gently to the little wound at the edge of his brow. The material was soft and he leaned into it, savoring the contact even if it was out of pity. 

 

“Looks like it does,” Jadiel observed, frowning but keeping his touch careful. “Why do you always pick fights, kid? I’ve seen them smack you around at school. You get back up, and I admire that, but you keep antagonizing them.” Zach finally looked at him and there was a lot held in those dark eyes, more than he’d ever given the kid credit for before. “High school is all about fitting in and laying low until you can get the fuck out of there.”

 

Zach scowled. “I’m not going to let those assholes push me around.”

 

Jadiel reached up and smoothed back a wet curl, sighing. “Dude. They already push you around.”

 

Hagan glanced in the mirror at them and Jadiel drew back. “What the hell are you looking at?”

 

“You’re lucky I’m not taking you in, kid, either of you,” Hagan threatened mildly, shaking his head. “You should both honestly be arrested. Fighting, smoking pot,  _ drinking _ .”

 

“Your face should be arrested,” Zach cracked lamely, pulling a face. “Because your face is a _whore_.”

 

Jadiel could see the man’s face in the mirror and made sure to brace his palm on the glass for the inevitable break check. Zach’s head bounced off the glass with a meaty thud and he snickered at the jock’s grunt of pain. The cute face was screwed up as he tried to shake off the rattled-brain feeling and Jadiel found endless amusement out of it.

 

“That’s what you get.”

 

“You should buckle up back there,” Hagan sing-songed. “I’d hate to have to give you a ticket for it.”

 

When Zach pried his eyes open, he blinked curiously at the deputy before realization bloomed in his eyes. “Hey, I know you! Jadiel, you know who this is?”

 

“Someone who really wants me to have Daddy issues?” Jadiel snarked.

 

“Gross,” Zach laughed before he leaned closer to the glass. “Hey! Officer Dickbag. You’re the guy who blew the championship game like eight hundred years ago, aren’t you? What does everyone call you?” 

 

Jadiel watched the jock lick his lips to fight off the slur and he got a little warm watching the sheen appear across plump pink flesh. He got the feeling Zach was showing off for him but he didn’t feel the need to stop it.

 

“What does everyone call you? Has-Been Halfback?  _ No _ , it was Half-Ass Hagan!”

 

The tires screeched and Zach was way too close to the tempered glass this time. He bounced off it with a loud thud that made Jadiel wince. “Seriously, dude, that _hurts_.”

 

Hagan’s little smirk didn’t go unnoticed. Jadiel would give him this one though, being reminded of past failures could make a person bitter to the core.

 

“Wait, Hagan?” Zach’s rattled brain put together. “Mindy’s name is Hagan.”

 

“That’s right,” Hagan drawled out. “Mindy is my daughter.”

 

Jadiel reclined in his seat with a raised brow, beanie still in his hand. “So is that your little girlfriend?”

 

Zach visibly flustered. “Well, like, it’s not...official or anything. She’s cute as fuck. And she’s…”

 

“Hot?” Jadiel supplied duly. 

 

“Yeah.” Zach cleared his throat and leaned in towards the glass again. “Now I know why you’re tripping on me. You don’t let the idea of someone dating your daughter. I get that.”

 

Hagan sucked his teeth for a moment before he spoke, voice coming out tight and clipped. “Listen, kid. I raised my daughter to be a strong, independent woman who’s capable of making her own decisions. That being said, sometimes as her father, I disagree with those decisions.”

 

“Mindy is really cool and everything, dude, but like, it’s only a sorta sure thing right now,” Zach promised, drunk mind trying to sound reassuring. “I’m not even trying to bang her right now.”

 

Jadiel put his hand out flat on Zach’s chest and pushed the boy back against the seat, narrowly avoiding a minor concussion as Hagan stomped on the breaks. Jadiel glared at the man through the rearview mirror. “You should really get your brakes checked.”

 

“Maybe you’re right, kid.”

 

Jadiel looked back to Zach and found the boy staring at him with a strange expression, lips parted and brow a little furrowed. That’s when he realized he still had a hand on his chest and was faintly rubbing into the solid muscle, fingertips bunching his shirt. Jadiel snapped his hand back to himself and glared him down.

 

“What?”   


  
The boy briefly bit his lip. “Thanks.”

 

“Yeah, well, football will take your brain soon enough, you don’t need a speed run.”


	3. Chapter 3

Whatever they knocked out of the sky with Woody’s firework was deadly at the high speed it was racing. Jadiel banged on the window with his fist to try and catch Hagan’s slack-jawed attention. Woody and his pal were staring just as wide-eyed at the oncoming rocket-look-alike.

 

“Hey, hey!” Jadiel barked as loud as he could. “You wanna’ play Daddy?! Goo-goo-gaga bitch, open the God damn door!”

 

Zach pulled wildly on the handle and put his foot on the door, pushing and pulling so hard he rocked the car. “I promise not to sleep with your daughter! Please?!”

 

Hagan snapped out of his daze from the light show and ran to the car. He yanked on the handle and threw the door open. Jadiel didn’t give Hagan a moment to fumble. He grabbed Zach by the collar and dragged him out with him, throwing them both flat in the grass. Zach clung to him, a fine tremor of fear working through him as adrenaline pumped through him. 

 

Jadiel brushed his lips across the boy’s forehead and carded his fingers through damp curls. “You’re okay, kid.”

 

Zach’s eyes were full of something too tender for him to look directly at.

 

The group watched the smoke rise over the hill. The dying police siren filled the stunned silence until it finally gave a last whirr. They were all hunched over waiting for the next shoe to drop but nothing happened. Jadiel got up on his knees and tugged his beanie on before he brushed the dirt off his hoodie. He looked over at Zach and admired the dirty, mussed look on the teen. In a way, he kind of looked fresh off a forest floor after a good hate fuck. It was an oddly erotic look.

 

Zach got up on his hands and knees and looked the other over with a flush of panic. “Are you okay?”

 

Jadiel patted his warm cheek. “Don’t worry about me, kiddo.”

 

“What the hell was that?” Hagan asked, straightening up and craning his neck to make sure nothing was flying back up over the hill.

 

“That was...Woody’s fault,” Herman heaved with an accusatory finger.

 

“My bad!”

 

“Woody, for fuck’s sake,” Jadiel sighed as he tried to get to his feet. He’d twinged his knee a little in the fall. Zach jumped up and took his hand, laying his own over the older boy’s back. Jadiel chuckled and heaved himself up. “My, aren’t you a gentleman.”

 

“You sure you’re okay?” Zach needled, looking him over again.

 

Jadiel shrugged off his hands. “Buzz off.”

 

o0o

 

“Is that it?”   
  


“No it’s another spaceship that fell out of the sky, dumbass.”

 

“I’ll check it out. You guys stay here.”

 

Naturally, they all followed the deputy, hot on his heels towards the alien tech. Jadiel brought up the rear. As the others gushed, he contemplated making a run for it. It wouldn’t be a good idea to linger. This kind of stuff usually attracted a lot of attention and a swarm of cops. He  _ really _ didn’t need his mom on his ass or cops sniffing around for the second stash in the inner pocket of his zip hoodie. But something about the pod called to him. Maybe it was the sleek, futuristic look or the mesmerizing blue glow. Maybe it was just raw curiosity. 

 

Either way, his feet kept moving him closer. 

 

“Okay, this is serious - hey, what are you doing?”

 

Jadiel’s attention snapped back to Zach as the jock took pictures.

 

“Dude, taking selfies. First people to shoot down a spaceship? That’s like a thousand likes.”

 

“I get that posting nudes on tumblr,” Jadiel chimed in dully. .

 

Red bloomed over the curves of Zach’s ears, mouth working uselessly for a moment. “Wait, really?”

 

Jadiel shrugged a shoulder. “Yeah. I got that sexy pudge and I smoke pot. People eat that shit up.” He raised his fist and deadpanned. “Yay for body positivity.”

 

Zach opened up the note app on his phone with over-excited fingers. “You wanna’ share that url, bro? For, like, science.”

 

“I bet it’s like ‘ _baremexicansmoke_ ’ or something,” Herman snort laughed, getting a grin from Jadiel. 

 

“Maybe,” he drew out.

 

“Okay,  _ one _ , we’re going to talk about the whole list of reasons why you should  _ not  _ be doing that,” Hagan scolded, staring daggers at the smirking youth. “Two, this is not an alien spaceship. It’s probably something from the military base.”

 

“Does that make it worse or better that we shot it down?” Jadiel asked.

 

“We did _not_ shoot it down!” Hagan shot back quickly. 

 

“Yeah,” Herman backed up, gesturing at his friend. “ _ Woody _ shot it down.”

 

“Sorry, ‘yall. I gotta’ be more careful.”

 

Zach scoffed. “Yeah, you’re on fire, genius.”

 

There was a beat of silence before Jadiel realized there were flames on his friend’s sleeve. “Jesus, Woody!”

 

Jadiel moved fast and fisted his hands in the flailing man’s jacket. He yanked it down and off with a few sharp tugs, tossing it away. He checked Woody over and heaved out a relieved sigh. 

 

“Am I burned up?” Woody’s head whipped back and forth as he tried to check over his shoulders. “How’s my hair? And my skin?”

 

“You’re fine, dumbass,” Jadiel chuckled as he ruffled the fluffy mullet. “Minimal damage. Just be more careful. All that beer you drink, you’re more flammable than your clothes.”

 

Zach puffed up like a cat as he watched the two and their casual touches. It felt a little unfair that the water boy, some loser named Woody of all things, got Jadiel’s affection and attention. Zach had been trying to butter Jadiel up all year. They’d shared more than a dozen blowjobs and yet Jadiel’s smile was for Woody. It was never for him, never at him. Zach had done everything he could think of to make Jadiel like him.

 

Maybe he just needed to do one more thing. Alien technology might grease the wheels. All he had to do was prove himself. 

 

While Hagan was talking, the pod popped open. There was a human shape inside. A helmet, gauntlets, boots, and a shining silver disk over the solar plexus.

 

“Is that a body? Nasty.” 

 

“That is _not_ a body. That looks like...armor.”

 

Zach was drawn to the glow like a moth to the flame. He jumped into the crater, eyes roving over the blue outline of a human shape. He shot a grin over his shoulder and winked at Jadiel. “Yo, Jade, check this out. I’m going to be the first human to put on alien armor.”

 

“That’s not my name, idiot,” Jadiel tisked. “And don’t touch it.”

 

“Zach, he’s right, leave it alone,” Hagan cautioned.

 

“Yeah right!” Zach laughed. “Finders keepers. I’m hogging all this shit.”

 

“Zach, don’t!” Jadiel cautioned with a bit more urgency in his voice, taking a few steps closer as the boy picked up some kind of gun. “You have no idea what that shit is. It could melt your whole face off so just leave it alone.”

 

“Don’t worry about me,” Zach assured smoothly with another wink, echoing the statement the other had made to him. 

 

“I’m not worried, I just don’t want you to set off a nuclear, alien explosion or some shit,” Jadiel defended. 

 

“I’d like to see a fuck boy handle an alien gun!” Zach threw back with a smug grin. “Check this one out.” He put his hand just inside the device, feeling out the firm grips and letting his knuckles tease the lip of it to test it out. “Daddy like.”

 

Jadiel rolled his eyes. “This right here is what I was talking about with that fuck boy thing.” His eyes widened comically as Zach’s wrist disappeared into the device. “Jesus, don’t put your arm in it!”

 

Zach looked up and there might as well have been stars in his eyes. Awe flushed through him at the concern in Jadiel’s voice and he couldn’t help the way his heart gave a little flutter. He’d wanted to be on the receiving end of that dark stare for so long and in this moment he finally had the older boy’s full attention. He didn’t want to waste it.  _ He really does give a shit about me. _

 

Distracted, Zach’s arm sunk as far as it could within the machine. He frowned thoughtfully and felt around, fingers catching on some sort of trigger. He clicked it a few times but nothing happened. He broke out into a grin and hefted it around, pointing it at Hagan. “Badass, right? There’s a trigger in here but it doesn’t do anything.”   
  


“Whoa!” Hagan cautioned, hand out and the other on his gun. “Don’t  _ point  _ at people with something like that!”

 

Herman dove in next, heading straight for the boots. “Come to Papa.”

 

“You guys have Daddy issues,” Jadiel scoffed, making a grab for Woody as his friend hurried to the pod. “Wait, wait! Shit.”

 

“Woody,” Hagan pleaded. “Guys, come on, this stuff could be really dangerous.”

 

Zach snagged the disk and oofed at how dense it was. “Hey Jade, catch! It’s heavy, dude.”

 

“That’s not my na -  _ oof _ .” Jadiel caught the disk with both hands and whoofed at the weight. It looked lighter than air but there was some surprising heft to it. He turned it over in his hands and held it up to the light of the crash. It had a large circle of glass in the middle like an eyelet and was made of the same white metal as the rest of the “suit” pieces. “This stuff looks pretty scifi. Usually military operations go for black, tan - colors you can hide. This is pretty showy for some kind of superhuman armor or whatever. I mean, what the fuck even is  _ this _ ?”

 

He pointedly palmed the disk but Hagan was too busy scolding the others for putting on the pieces. “Nevermind, let’s just all put on this probably radiated suit and I’ll hold the Space Discus.” 

 

Jadiel watched Hagan fight with Zach over the second gauntlet and huffed, tucking the disk against his chest with his arm as he sauntered over. “Zach! Just give him the stupid hand piece already! It’s not like we won’t have to hand over all this shit once the military comes. And you _know_ they saw that light show we put on.”

 

“No way! This is mine!” Zach griped, tugging on the gauntlet. “These pieces go together, find your own!”

 

“Kid, I’m not trying to take it from you, I just want you to put it  _ back _ .”

 

The pieces lit up in unison with matching whirring noises. Herman’s boots, the gauntlet, the gun, even Woody’s helmet seemed to sync up with his head. Jadiel looked down at the disk and noticed it was starting to swirl with light, the metal panels seeming to flex. It almost felt like a heartbeat was inside the disk, like it was  _ breathing _ .

 

“What’d you do?” Herman accused.

 

The deputy’s arm was encased in the gauntlet and he looked equally as confused. “I didn’t do anything! I was trying to get you guys to put it back.”

 

The parts beeped and whirred, metal interlocking and activating. Zach’s launcher-looking piece did an impressive twirl to open up a sleek shaft.

 

“You turned it on!”

 

“No I didn’t!”

 

“Mine’s on too!”

 

Jadiel didn’t think to drop the disk he was cradling until twin belts whipped out of it and closed around his chest. He  _ oofed  _ as the disk thunked to the middle of his chest between his pecs and grew warm, lighting up fully now. Something thin gleamed briefly at the edges before plunging through his jacket and shirt. Jadiel’s scream joined the chorus of the others as the razor sharp pain seared through his chest. It felt like something was stabbing into his lungs with every panicked breath but he couldn’t fathom calming himself down when he felt like every vein was getting filled up with _fire_.

 

The agony knocked him off his feet and onto his ass. Just as the edge came off the pain, the device spun and more straps erupted from it. Jadiel scrambled in the dirt to get away but the device was attached, the leather like material slapping around his shoulders and waist. The disk fluttered and plates started to unfold and grow, falling around his chest like a wave of scales. The metal hooks inside him flexed and he writhed in the dirt, crying out. All the metaphorical fire became nearly physical as he felt his clothes searing away beneath the metal, fabric turning to ash and flesh burning. Though his clothes burnt away the heat turned off before he could feel more than maybe a first degree burn. It was like when he burned his fingers on a hot skillet but all over his fucking chest. 

 

He could see Zach clinging to his arm and doubled over.

 

_ Are we dying? Is this shit going to sap our fucking souls or something because this is literally the worst fucking thing- _

 

Jadiel’s thoughts cut out in a bolt of panic as he felt something crawling through his muscles. When his brain kickstarted again it supplied him with horrifying images from his last research paper about Morgellons disease. His skin crawled as he pictured microfibers fusing within him. He sat up with shaking arms and couldn’t hide the naked fear on his face as the places folded up around his back and hugged tight. The lens between his pecs was fully open and glowing now.

 

It could’ve been a flashlight for all he knew but all he cared about was the lessening pain. The fear stayed as he wondered what kind of numbing agent was seeping into his veins. Chemicals. Poison. One more thing to worry about with this sudden fusion.

 

“Jadiel?” Zach called, still pawing at the device attached to his arm. “Holy shit. Are you okay?”   
  


Jadiel gave a thumbs up before he sat up fully, getting his feet under him to try and stand up. His legs wobbled and Zach made a move to come toward him but he waved him off. “Don’t worry about me, bro.”

 

Then his sleeves fell off. Zach’s bug-eyed stare wasn’t exactly comforting.

 

“What is on you?” Hagan awed, staring at the breastplate.

 

“What’s on  _ you _ ? See? How does that feel, getting asked stupid questions?”

 

The pod pulsed before shooting out an image of a small, alien creature with the most overly kind expression they’d ever seen. As the little thing told them about some kind of enemy and “Suit of Power”, Jadiel finally took a good look at himself. The disk had completed folded out and attached to him as some sort of chest piece. It folded snugly along his shoulders and gave his arms plenty of room, aligning in neat scales down to just above his pants. He ran his hands along the icy metal and expected it to be bulky but it felt wafer thin, though without yield. He turned his torso each way and the chest piece flexed with him, molded to his body and responding to it. He hunched and it folded with him, retracting and bending appropriately. It had burned out the cloth beneath it and the rest of the scraps were easily brushed away to the grass. 

 

He was shirtless but not naked. It fit like it had been poured on and he wondered if it could even be noticed beneath a shirt. 

 

_ “Conflict is coming.” _

 

“Conflict is coming?” Herman repeated with a snort, heading away from the crater. “Then Herman is leaving.” The man paused and did a little jig with his feet, a smile breaking out across his face. “Hold on a second. My limp...it’s gone!” He walked around the pod and whooped. “Check me out, my limp is gone!”

 

Jadiel couldn’t help but smile. He and Hagan had never exactly been best friends but he knew he had a jaded past, a bad lifestyle, and that Woody often worried about him. It was good to see a big smile on his face. “Good for you, man.”

 

Woody beamed at his friend. “It’s a Christmas miracle.”

 

“I’m back in the game!”

 

Zach snorted at Hagan’s attempt to shove off his gauntlet. “What’s the matter, Chubs? You stuck?”

 

The deputy glared. “Are you?”

 

Zach dug his fingers in the edge of the device and pushed, mouth dropping open in sick surprise. “Shit! My throwing arm!” He looked around at the others, watching all but Jadiel try to get their pieces off. “How do we get these things off?”

 

“Considering this thing is kind of _inside_ me and burned my fucking clothes? I’d say not anytime soon,” Jadiel supplied, half-heartedly pushing at the plates. “Yep. Pretty solid.”

 

Zach dropped to the ground and put his heels on his piece, wrenching it with all his might.

 

“Uh, can you stop him from doing that before he breaks his arm?” Hagan asked, fingers searching for some kind of release switch on his gauntlet. 

 

Jadiel gestured uselessly and pulled a face. “What the fuck am  _ I _ supposed to do?”

 

“He’s your little boyfriend, isn’t he?”

 

“As if, old man. He’s my stalker.”

 

“He’ll at least listen to you!”

 

Jadiel rolled his eyes so hard it kind of hurt. “Help. Police.  _ Murder _ .”

 

“You know, kid, references are only funny when we’re not in danger of getting shocked or sliced by alien technology!”

 

“Oh sure, blame the suit when we all blindly stumble into this bullshit.”

 

There was a low humming noise before Zach exclaimed. “Wait, I think I got it!”

 

A roar of energy and light exploded out of the end of Zach’s device, sending the jock sprawling in a recoil. A blast shot along the slope of the hill and hit the deputy vehicle dead center. The car went up in a blinding shower of sparks and a great whoosh of flames. 

 

“Whoa!”

 

“Oh come on!”

 

“Whoo!”   


  
“Now _that’s_ a firework!”

 

“Uh, guys?” Woody suddenly called, eyes darting back and forth over a screen only he could see. “My helmet says warning and it’s pointing up. Do you think it’s trying to warn me about my brain? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure it's eaten up.” 

 

Everything happened so quickly that Jadiel didn’t register much beyond pure instinct and muscle memory. A fiery tire arched through the air and made a beeline right for Hagan’s head.

 

“Oh no!”

 

Hagan didn’t know if it was instinct or what but he threw his arm above him to block his head and the gauntlet activated. It shot out a blue light and it turned solid, rounding out. It became a shield and the tired bounced off it, harmlessly rolling away. Jadiel gaped at the sight and barely registered Woody’s second statement.

 

“There’s another!”

 

Jadiel saw the fender twirling through the air before anyone else. His eyes dropped to where it was heading and his heart seized -  _ Zach _ . The kid was staring at the tire with a frown, oblivious, and Jadiel felt the power before he even had the thought to shout. It was split-second. He wasn’t sure if he moved or the armor made him move but he raised his hand and a blue beam shot out of his chest to follow his fingers. It felt like an extension of his arm, that microfiber sensation tickling from his heart to his nailbeds.

 

Whatever power was in his armor flowed through him, escaped the lens on his chest, and swallowed the fender whole right above Zach’s head. The jock dropped to the ground and stared in shock up at the suspended metal, chest heaving in nervous breaths. Jadiel didn’t dare move his fingers but he’d already gone this far. He slowly rotated his body and wasn’t too surprised when the fender moved with him, the blue beam holding on to it. Zach watched it, smacked with a lovestruck look towards the older boy.

 

Jadiel closed his fist and dropped it to his side, shuddering from the feeling of disconnect as the fender dropped with it.

 

“Wow,” Zach breathed, smiling at him. “You’ve got a tractor beam?”

  
Jadiel scrubbed a hand over his face and nearly knocked off his glasses. “That’s so God damn lame.”


	4. Chapter 4

Being overrun and basically kidnapped by the military wasn’t so bad. Getting tasered into submission? Shitty, because they had to shoot him in the ass to get past the armor while Zach got it twice in the chest. Learning they stole the suit of power from Earth’s Champion? Also pretty shitty. Getting recruited by their kidnappers to become some kind of superhero team? Weird.

 

Listening to Adam’s boring speech?  _ Painful _ .

 

But at least they gave him a shirt to go over his armor. The lens was free thanks to a well placed cut out and it turned out he was right - it was so slim fitting you couldn’t see it bulk against cloth. That was one relief in a buttload of bullshit.

 

“When Perseus was sent to defeat the Gorgon, he was armed with four gifts from the Heavens. A sword, boots, a helmet, and a shield. With these gifts he was victorious. You’ll now begin your formal training to utilize your… _ gifts _ .”

 

Jadiel raised a hand. “Two questions.”

 

“No questions,” Adam dismissed with casual authority.

 

Jadiel bristled and his tone sharpened to a fine edge. “Two  _ questions _ . Where does this-” He smacked the lens on his chest and the soldier flinched. “-fit into your cute little metaphor?”

 

“Every warrior has armor,” Adam replied, the furrow of his brow telling how much the kid had already gotten under his skin. “I didn’t think that needed an explanation.”

 

“Deadpan sarcasm. That’s real original, buddy,” Jadiel drawled out. “Second question. Can I have my DS back?”

 

“No,” Adam bit out.  _ Short fuse on this one _ . “No distractions.”

 

“You dress me up like G.I. Douchebag and take away my Pokemon? You people are sick.”

 

“I said  _ no _ .”

 

“I’ll suck your dick if you do.”

 

A heavy scowl slashed across Zach’s face and Hagan scrubbed his free hand across his face.

 

“Jadiel, this really isn’t the time,” the deputy warned. “They don’t think you’re funny.”

 

“Who says I’m joking?” Jadiel met Adam’s shocked gaze and quirked a brow at him. “I’ll do it right here. I don’t fucking care.”

 

“LIke hell you will!” Zach barked, bulking as he resisted the urge to blast the asshole stranger in the face. 

 

“That’s adorable,” Jadiel scoffed. “You actually think you’re the only dick I suck, Spencer?”

 

Zach flinched and he  _ almost  _ felt bad but the kid had to learn. He watched Zach glare hot at Adam before crestfallen, kicked-puppy eyes dropped to the ground. It was only for a few seconds but it was another glimpse of that softer side he didn’t think Zach had. He didn’t want to hurt the kid, he just…

 

Jadiel pushed all that down and shot his best smirk at Adam. “Just give me my DS back and I’ll make it worth your time.”

 

“That’s disgusting,” Adam sneered.

 

“Give me an hour and my DS back and I’ll make it as nasty as you want, uh…” He looked at Herman. “What’d you call him earlier?”

 

“Hitler Youth,” Herman supplied easily, grinning at the way a smirk cracked Jadiel’s cool mask.

 

“Priceless.”

 

o0o

 

The military ran them through their paces all morning, test after test. The “lunch break” was as much water as the team could chug and some MRE’s that they were too impatient to do right. Full of animal crackers and candy, they headed back out.

 

o0o

 

The Russian-possibly-Scandinavian scientist was hot but Jadiel felt like she was hellbent on killing them.

 

“Test number eight - use the gravity impulse component of armor to grab the each falling object and place it in the assigned container before the next object touches the ground. This is a test of precision and speed. The weight of the objects shall increase as the test proceeds.” 

 

Jadiel looked at the black bin and the holes in the ceiling. They were inside for his first test and this room seemed to be rigged to drop things randomly. The others were behind him watching and he was determined to do better than them. “Catch tennis balls, dump them in trash can. Do it fast. Got it.”

 

“You can do it!” Zach shouted uselessly behind him.

 

Jadiel gave a sarcastic thumbs up that turned into the middle finger and the jock winked at him.  _ Nothing deters that punk. _

 

The test wasn’t too hard at first. The tennis balls fell and like before he held his hand out and did this weird inner  _ push  _ and the beam followed. It was hard to describe but it was like breathing out hard, putting effort  _ forward  _ from a limb he didn’t actually have. He missed one or two but soon he had a dozen. Aim, push, catch, move hand over bin, close fist -  _ plop _ . Easy enough.

 

“This isn’t so bad,” he commented, frowning a little at the airy tone to his voice. He didn’t feel winded, not really, but it seemed to be slowly wearing on him. The tennis balls turned to weighted spheres and each one he caught made his hand waver like he was physically touching them. The beam was stronger than him but they were connected. Whatever the armor had threaded inside him had given him control but it was an unused muscle he needed to flex.

 

Except for his arm was shaking by the time the spheres had moved up three weight classes.

 

“This is nothing,” Jadiel murmured to himself, panting. He could feel the sweat building up in his hair and rolling down his nape, soaking into his shirt. His lungs were burning but he kept going, left hand holding up his right arm to brace for each impact. 

 

By the time the hot scientist called a thirty second warning, Jadiel’s bones felt like they were liquid.

 

“Stop! For fuck’s sake,  _ stop the test _ !”

 

Jadiel barely recognized Hagan’s voice before he had to drop. His knees gave and the cement floor was unforgiving. He groaned at the pain in his kneecaps before he doubled over on him, dry heaving and clutching his chest. He tasted blood and he didn’t know why. The chest piece was purring against him, warm and alive as his heart threatened to burst from how hard it was beating. 

 

“Jadiel?” The soft whisper came after a gentle hand landed on his shoulder. He flinched before he uncurled himself, turning his head to look up into Zach’s concerned face. “Hey...you’re bleeding.”

 

“What?” he rasped, unsure where because he didn’t feel like he’d cut himself on anything. “Where?”

 

Zach bit the side of his lip and Jadiel realized he’d never seen the kid so worried before. He looked half a second away from hugging him or something and it was freaking him out. “On your face.”

 

Jadiel ran a hand over his face and found something wet at his nose. His fingertips came back cherry red. He  _ was  _ bleeding.

 

“He has a heavy smoking history, and his overall health is...questionable,” the blonde scientist rattled off with a detached air. “It seems the armor is causing hypertension.”

 

Jadiel braced a hand on Zach’s shoulder and got to his feet, shooting her a nasty look. “Fuck you. Run it again.”

 

“No way! That’s enough,” Hagan demanded, staring down Dr. Sorola who seemed unamused. “He’s just a kid. You’re going to knock him into a seizure!”

 

Jadiel shook off the shakes and took a few heavy breaths, teeth grit. “Would you knock it off? I know what I can handle.”

 

Zach touched his arm, tugging on the sleeve. “Jadiel, maybe-”

 

“Shut up! You’re not my boyfriend!” Jadiel jerked away his arm, whipping his head around to Hagan with the urge to  _ bite  _ in frustration  “And  _ you’re _ not my fucking father.”

 

Zach pulled back with a flinch.

 

Hagan’s lips pursed, his gauntlet curling into a fist. “Well someone needs to be.”

 

“Why don’t you two stop trying to kid-glove me and let me do this?” Jadiel idly rubbed over his heart, the throb in his head lessening. “Afraid I’ll upshow you?”

 

“That’s not what this is about and you know it,” Zach hissed behind him, shoving him in the shoulder with his palm. “Would you stop being an asshole for five minutes? You’re  _ bleeding _ .”

 

Jadiel could feel the buzz of the chestpiece and he tapped into that power. He wasn’t sure how but he felt like he could touch it somehow. “I’m fine.”

 

“You’re  _ not _ ,” Hagan insisted sharply. 

 

Jadiel huffed and his fingers tingled, the lens on his armor whirring. “Stop treating me like a kid!”

 

“You  _ are  _ a kid”

 

“Fuck  _ you _ !” 

 

Jadiel didn’t even have to gesture. He planted his feet and  _ pushed  _ and a bubble of energy popped out of the lens. It headed straight for Hagan and the man acted fast, throwing up his shield and deflecting it. The bubble bounced off with with an almost hilariously animated sound before smacking into one of the scientists. It enveloped the man fully and froze him mid-gesture. It was horrific and fascinating how painfully still he was except for the slightest rise and fall of his chest. The armor’s energy was letting him  _ breathe _ .

 

Jadiel’s stomach bottomed out and he made a choked sound. “Oh shit.”

 

Dr. Sorola jumped to action and scanned the trapped scientist, heaving a loud sigh of relief as his scanner’s results came back positive. “His vital signs are fine! He’s okay, guys.”

 

Jadiel quickly realized he controlled the energy and that the looks he was getting were  _ expectant _ . He floundered as he realized he hadn’t used his hands. He looked at Zach and Hagan but their worried eyes only made it worse. Jadiel closed his eyes tight and struggled to think of something, anything. His head was pounding and his lungs felt shriveled, his blood like pudding stuffed into his veins.

 

And then he thought of X-Men. In the First Class movies, Xavier touched his temple as a physical crutch for his overwhelming power. He’d overcome it.  _ That means I can too right? God damn it, why are all my useful references fictional? _

 

Jadiel took a deep, steady breath and when he released it he did his best to let go. The suspension bubble popped and the scientist swayed but seemed alright, blinking curiously and looking around. 

 

Jadiel cracked an eye open and saw the guy, heard him ask what happened. “Thank fuck.”

 

o0o0o0o

 

“Sleep tight, Lazer Team. See you tomorrow.”

 

The day had been a grueling battery of tests. They’d been poked, smacked, thrown, pounded, and overall beat up and bloody from the exercises. They were cattled into a room with bunk beds and locked inside. Jadiel crawled into the bunk below Woody’s and sprawled on his back. He wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand but the taste of copper was embedded between his teeth. Despite his half-hearted protests, the scientists had turned down the intensity of his tests to keep him from seizing. Apparently prolonged use stressed his brain and heart too much.

 

The hot scientist (he was sure she had a name) explained to him that the more he used, the less strain it would have on his body. His biology would adjust to the new “limb”, just like Hagan’s would adjust to the speed of his boots or Woody’s brain to the helmet. 

 

All Jadiel had to do was not die before then.

 

“That was awful.”

 

“I haven’t run that fast since Half-Ass Hagan ruined my life.”

 

“Yes,” Woody concurred. “This level of vigorous training can be difficult.”

 

Jadiel banged his fist on the bunk above him. “You didn’t even  _ do _ anything.”

 

“Besides see some naked people,” Zach added, waving his laser gun. 

 

“I also had to perform an enormous amount of calculations.”

 

“Oh, well,” Hagan scoffed sarcastically. “That sounds brutal.”

 

“I thought it was quite impressive,” Woody hummed. 

 

“No,  _ this _ is impressive.” Zach pulled out one of the military’s tablet and waved it around with a smug grin. He plopped it down beside him and spread out on the bed, laser gun tucked behind his head.

 

“Where did you get that?”

 

“Where do you get anything? I stole it.”

 

Jadiel felt strangely proud. “I didn’t even see you swipe it. You’re pretty sly.”

 

Zach practically preened under the compliment. 

 

“Hey, kid, let me see that,” Hagan called, holding out his metal hand.

 

“No way,” Zach bulked, tucking it back under his pillow. “Steal your own.”

 

Hagan grunted in annoyance. “I want to call my daughter so she doesn’t worry.”

 

“I’m sure Mindy’s fine,” Zach dismissed. 

 

Jadiel tried to keep his face neutral but his hands balled into fists. “Oh yeah, your girlfriend.”

 

“Mindy’s not my girlfriend,” Zach corrected quickly. “We’ve gone on a few dates is all. She’s pretty cool.”

 

Jadiel scoffed and rolled his eyes.  _ Yeah, for a Cheer Drone. _

 

Hagan noticed it and sucked his teeth, briefly weighing his words. “That bug you, kid?”

 

“Doesn’t bug me, bro,” Jadiel drawled, boredom purposefully laced into every word, his thumbnail digging into across his cuticles in a nervous rhythm out of sight. He saw Zach sitting up in his peripheral but he didn’t outright look. He didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

 

Hagan propped his head up on his fist. “You know, kid, you can do better than Spencer. Hell, I know my daughter can.”

 

“Hey!” Zach barked, flipping the deputy off. He felt protective of whatever feelings Jadiel had for him and he didn’t like Hagan prodding at them. “Are you fucking kidding me? I’m a heartthrob.” 

 

“Oh, and speaking of that,” Hagan started, shooting an accusatory look at Zach. “If you’re so determined to be hung up on  _ him _ .” He nodded at Jadiel, who flipped him a second bird. “Could you at least tell Mindy? Because, despite what a jackass you are, she still somehow finds something in you worth crushing on.”

 

“Ouch, I’m wounded,” Zach snarked, hand over his heart. “A washout’s words - damn, gets me right in the heart.” He faltered, fingers digging into his bloody shirt. “So she likes me that much?”

 

“Jackass,” the deputy spat before flopping down on his back.

 

They kept talking but Jadiel tuned it out. He rolled to face the wall and made himself as small as possible, face half buried in his thin pillow.  _ Mindy _ . He’d seen the two of them all the time at school - Zach leaning against her locker, washing praise on her, skipping class to take her out on her lunch period. They were cute together. He was an annoying football star and Mindy was a picturesque cheerleader. Hot, blonde, a little dumb. Perfect for someone like Zach. 

 

Jadiel curled his hand in the sheet and watched the material bunch up between his knuckles.  _ Stop getting worked up over some stupid kid who can’t hold his nut for more than two minutes.   _

 

o0o

 

Jadiel wasn’t sure when he fell asleep but when he surfaced from a strange parkour dream the lights had been turned off. He’d slept with his glasses on and he could feel the pinch on the bridge of his nose from the pressure. He stretched on the cot and rolled his wrists, his ankles, and one good arch made him pop all over. He slumped onto the mattress and was about to drift off again when he heard what had probably woken him up. 

 

It was the sound of himself singing. 

 

Jadiel flipped over onto his side and squinted into the room as his eyes adjusted. The iPad Zach had stolen was on with the brightness turned down low. The kid had it on his stomach and an arm behind his head, eyes closed but lashes flicking lightly. Jadiel could recognize the song playing, he remembered recording it on one of the nights he’d gotten too high to do much else but pick at his guitar.

 

“ ‘ _ Well the Sheriff let me go with a knife and a song, so I took the first train down to Oregon… _ ’ ”

 

“What are you doing on my Youtube?” Jadiel asked, voice husked from sleep. 

 

“Found it on your Instagram,” Zach murmured, looking more exhausted than he had all day. His eyes looked heavy as he tried to look at him, mere dark slits in the night. He looked his age and Jadiel felt a pang of tenderness for him and this strange gesture. “Helps me sleep.”

 

“Music helps?”

 

Zach’s smile was lazy and sugar sweet. “Your videos.”

 

Jadiel stilled, heart jumping up in his throat. 

 

“They’re nice,” Zach mumbled around a yawn. His mouth stayed open, cherub lips parted as he drifted off. Jadiel stared much too long at the curve of those lips, his own mouth dry as he contemplated going over there. Crawling in the cot, undo his belt, suck him off right there with the rest of Lazer Team all sleeping around them.

 

“Hey,” he called softly, the jock stirring and snuffling. “Turn it off, you weirdo.”

 

“Mmm, in a minute,” Zach promised, words fading out as he started to fall back asleep.

 

“Loser,” Jadiel said without a hint of heat, eyes soft as he watched the younger boy go slack. The video ended and the room grew quiet once more.

 

With the new, twisting feeling in his chest he wasn’t sure he could get back to sleep. 

 

_ Fuck, I need to get high. _

 

o0o0o0o

 

Jadiel slipped away after his last test and took to a shady haven behind one of the climbing courses. He double checked that the coast was clear before he slipped the dimebag out of his pocket. It had some loose leaves left but he’d rolled it into a fat joint the night of the big game. He’d lifted a lighter off one of the nurses he’d seen taking the path to the medical wing of the base. He lit up and took a long, smooth drag. The burn filled his lungs and he held it as long as he could, giving a slow release that made his breastplate flutter. 

 

After a few puffs he was starting to feel better. Last night had left him with an uncomfortable knotted feeling in his gut. His feelings for Zach were...complicated. They’d always been complicated. The kid had only been an annoyance at first but he’d caught his eyes. Pouty lips, freckles, the fine line of his football-fit body - how he could not look? It had all been physical at first. Getting Zach to give him weed for blowjobs? That had been a sweet deal. He got to play with Zach’s pretty cock and listen to him moan and whimper,  _ and  _ he got weed. Win-win.

 

He knew Zach had feelings for him. He couldn’t ignore it and at first he took advantage of it. But he never expected to get feelings in return.

 

o0o

 

The mess hall was a buzz of activity. Soldiers filed in and out, huddling in groups on silver tables to eat up heaping trays of food. Jadiel strut into the room and he could feel the lingering eyes on him, the way people whispered about his chest piece and the upcoming battle. But he had one goal in mind and they were white noise compared to his fun little plan.

 

Zach struggled with his food, cursing to himself as he fumbled to cut his steak one handed. He tried to drag his fork through it but it was too tough, and a knife with no grounding point was even more ridiculous. He tried to brace his elbow on the tray and cut but nearly upended the whole thing.

 

“Hey, handsome.” The dark purr was right in his ear and goosebumps visibly broke out along his arms. Zach stared shamelessly as Jadiel of all people slipped in beside him, straddling the bench beside him. He grew warm from how close the other boy was and the smell of weed on his clothes. He’d grown to associate that smell with a hot mouth around his dick and he was already feeling a hot pulse between his thighs.

 

“Jadiel,” he greeted smoothly, his laser cannon banging gracelessly against the chow tray. He cringed. “Uh, what’s up?”

 

“You’re having some trouble there. Let me help,” Jadiel urged as he dragged the tray closer. He took up the utensils and sliced the meat in even, straight pieces. The rest of the slop looked easy enough so he pushed it back. “There you go, sugartits.”

 

“Shut up,” Zach laughed with a shy pink tinging his cheeks. He dug into his food, his teenage metabolism roaring for protein and starch. He was halfway through the meal before he realized Jadiel wasn’t moving. He wiped his mouth and looked over at the other boy, blushing more as he saw that heavy-lidded gaze roaming over him. “How do you feel after your tests today?”

 

“I’m more interested in how  _ you  _ feel, Zach,” Jadiel rumbled, slipping a hand up the back of the other boy’s shirt. He splayed a hand along the dip of his back and Zach shivered as deft fingertips rubbed circles there. “It’s been a while for you, hasn’t it? When was the last time I blew you, baby?”

 

The nickname made Zach tingle and he pressed into the touch. He didn’t give a shit that they were in a crowded room, he wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

Jadiel gave a low hum and warm fingers roamed over his waist, curling there and catching in his belt look. “It’s been - what? Two weeks? God, I bet you’re pent  _ up _ .” He popped the word and Zach’s breath caught as he was dragged closer. The small distance between them grew non existent as his hip pressed up between Jadiel’s legs, his arm to the older boy’s chest, firm lips just barely skimming his ear. “Eager little spitfuck like you probably needs two rounds at a time. One to take the edge off, and one for you to  _ really _ feel it.”

 

Zach barely bit back a moan as a hand slid over his leg, fingers pressing deep on the soft inner thigh. Jadiel  _ knew  _ how sensitive he was there and there were people literally everywhere. 

 

“I bet you need it more than ever,” Jadiel continued as his fingers started working upward, rubbing circles like before but getting dangerously close to his interested dick. “All that power in your hand, huh?” 

 

Zach glanced at his laser gun laying on the table, his hand twitching within it. Jadiel was on his other side but it felt like the power buzzing in the device was going straight to his cock. Though with his crush rubbing up against him and about to jerk him off in a crowded room, he was sure watching paint dry would turn him on. God  _ damn _ , Jadiel smelled so good and he was so touch starved that his ribs were shaking in excitement. He didn’t know what was happening but he loved it.

 

“Bet you’re wanting to feel a different kind of power between those perfect thighs, hm?” Jadiel breathed against his ear, his dick twitching in response. “Oh yeah, pretty boy. Bet a good fuck before the end of the world would hit the spot. Well,  _ your  _ spot. I bet I could find it so easy.”

 

Zach’s breath hitched loudly and ended in a whine when Jadiel cupped his stiff cock through his pants. It felt a thousand times better than his own and he rocked his hips into it. “Jadiel?  _ F-Fuck. _ ”

 

“That’s the point, baby.” Jadiel squeezed his dick and dug his teeth into his neck at the same time and Zach lit up. He jumped in his seat at the sensation overload and accidentally squeezed the trigger inside his suit piece.

 

The room blazed with blue light, a flash and then a powerful  _ whoosh  _ before the whizz and crackle of power in the air. Soldiers screamed and dove out of the way as the blast hit the vending machines, sending them into a shower of sparks and crackles as they crumbled. Zach flushed from his throat to the roots of his hair as he realized what he’d done but he never lost his hard on.

 

Jadiel laughed against his neck and pet over his cock. “Hairtrigger.”

 

“Y-You made me…” Zach protested weakly, grabbing the table to keep from thrusting into the other’s palm.

 

As the shouts turned into curious chatter and blatant glares, Jadiel was smacked with a painfully sober feeling. The dopey smile that had curled his lips wiped away as he realized what he was doing and how much he was  _ enjoying  _ it. He’d come in here to tease Zach, get him to shoot, but now he wanted to drag the other around behind the building and fuck him against the bricks. He wanted to kiss him, drag him into his lap and kiss him and tell him how adorable he was when he was all flustered.

 

That was  _ not  _ how this was supposed to go.

 

Jadiel got up and left without another word, heading straight back to the training grounds to toss some things around.

 

Zach looked after him and felt so disgustingly much like an abandoned dog that it made his stomach hurt. He pushed his tray away and clumsily got out from the bench, feet taking him the exact opposite direction as Jadiel. It was one thing to ignore him and be a dick, but to blatantly tease and taunt him in front of people? To give him hope and then stalk off like a complete jackass? That was a whole other thing. 

 

Zach really liked Jadiel but he would only tolerate so much boot-licking and bullying before he fought back. Maybe he turned into a shy, wilting little flower around the older boy but he was no one’s doormat. Not even for someone as hot as Jadiel. 

 

o0o

 

_ ‘They’ll fail...and then we’ll have to cut those pieces off.’ _

 

Jadiel sat cross legged with Woody on the older boy’s cot, a hand on his shoulder and hsi eyes shut. He could hear the echo of what Woody’s helmet was picking up.

 

“That’s not good,” Jadiel sighed, squeezing his friend’s shoulder. 

 

Woody jolted as something pushed at his mind. It was persistent, cutting through some kind of mental lock and blossoming like it was his own thought. It was horrific. He could see Zach strapped to a table, screaming in agony as a bonesaw sliced choppily through his arm. Blood everywhere, pain, tears…

 

Woody shook off Jadiel’s hand. “Bloody hell.”

 

“What?” Jadiel snapped.

 

“You were thinking quite loud right then,” Woody replied, the new accent still tickling hsi tongue. “You know, if they do cut off the suit pieces, they’ll probably kill us first.”

 

“No one’s getting killed.” Jadiel looked to the cot where Zach was curled up on his side, drooling on his gun and sleeping peacefully. He was so much sweeter in sleep, quiet and soft. “No one is going to lay a fucking finger on him.”

 

Woody’s eyebrows raised.

 

“On any of us,” he corrected himself. 

 

“You like him.”

 

Jadiel’s nerves prickled. “Shut up.”

 

Woody cocked his head and Jadiel narrowed his eyes at him, challenging his look without a word. “I’ve been monitoring your vital signs.”

 

Jadiel hummed in annoyance. “I never asked you to do that.”

 

“It’s romantic,” Woody assured soothingly. 

 

“What is?”

 

“The way your heart rate increases when he smiles at you.”

 

Jadiel smacked the side of the helmet and his friend flailed. “If you didn’t have that stupid helmet, I’d smother you.”

 


End file.
